Mexican influencer Cesar Gastelum killed on livestream

Mexican influencer Cesar Gastelum was shot dead on Tuesday while livestreaming outside a restaurant in Culiacan, the capital of Sinaloa state.

Local police confirmed Gastelum's death. He had more than 500,000 followers on TikTok and was broadcasting with two friends while they were dressed as food delivery workers as part of a challenge.

Video circulating online showed a motorcycle carrying two people pull up beside the group before the driver reportedly shot Gastelum in the head. The livestream was halted and later removed by the platform, though footage and images of the attack continued to circulate.

Police initially reported the death of a delivery worker, but later identified the victim as Gastelum. He was reportedly 25 and posted lifestyle content.

The attack took place in a busy shopping plaza near the Sinaloa prosecutor's office. Soldiers and police were deployed while forensic experts collected evidence and removed the body, according to footage from local TV stations.

The district has been affected over the past two years by internal struggles within the local cartel. Local media said around a dozen influencers, some allegedly linked to criminal gangs, have been killed in recent years in Sinaloa.